WARSAW — Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, is mulling the ouster of Prime Minister Beata Szydło and possibly replacing her with her deputy Mateusz Morawiecki, the finance minister and economic policy chief.

It's also possible that Kaczyński could take the premiership himself — returning to a job he held in 2006-2007.

"The natural candidate is Chairman Jarosław Kaczyński," Adam Lipiński, the party's deputy leader, told reporters in the Polish parliament on Wednesday. "However, if the chairman doesn't decide on that, then the best candidate would be Mateusz Morawiecki."

Lipiński said he expects a decision "before the holidays."

Kaczyński plucked Szydło from relative obscurity two years ago to be the face of the party in the 2015 parliamentary election, an acknowledgement of his personal unpopularity among many voters. Since then, she has led a government that is very popular at home thanks to generous social policies like a bonus payment for having children and a lower retirement age, buttressed by her social conservatism and overt Roman Catholic piety.

But Szydło's government has also seen a souring of relations with most of Poland's neighbors, especially Germany, and growing tensions with the EU. Brussels has launched an unprecedented inquiry into whether the government is violating the EU's democratic principles in its effort to impose tighter political control over the judicial system.

“It is not a secret that a proposal for Mateusz Morawiecki’s candidacy for prime minister has appeared" — Party spokeswoman Beata Mazurek

Although it's unlikely that the EU will be able to strip Poland's voting rights as an EU member, Warsaw could face difficulties in upcoming negotiations over the post-2020 budget, as some West European countries have suggested Poland could suffer financial consequences for the government's actions.

Morawiecki, 49, is a former banker who speaks fluent English and German, and would be a smoother partner for other EU leaders than Szydło,

Speculation about Szydło's future exploded this week, following a Monday evening meeting of Law and Justice regional leaders at the party’s Warsaw headquarters at which Kaczyński reportedly aired the idea of a new prime minister.

“It is not a secret that a proposal for Mateusz Morawiecki's candidacy for prime minister has appeared,” party spokeswoman Beata Mazurek told reporters on Tuesday. “But there has been no decision as yet. It will be taken by the PiS political committee.”

On Wednesday, she said the committee would meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the reshuffle.

Szydło appears resigned to her looming dismissal. She sent a tweet early Tuesday saying: “Whatever happens, Poland is most important” — interpreted as a veiled farewell.

She was also recorded on Tuesday by a TVN24 news channel camera while chatting with Environment Minister Jan Szyszko, saying "hopefully they won’t dismiss me by Thursday."

Kaczyński (right) plucked Szydło (left) from relative obscurity two years ago to be the face of the party in the 2015 parliamentary election| Stanislaw Rozpedzik/EPA

Neither Szydło nor Morawiecki have an independent position in Law and Justice, a party founded and tightly controlled by Kaczyński. Despite his official status as an ordinary MP, he is widely seen as Poland's real ruler.

Morawiecki was seen as relatively apolitical in the past, and even served as an economic adviser to former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, now the president of the European Council. But he has become a crucial part of the PiS government, as Kaczyński relies on him to oversee the economy, which is performing very well. The European Commission expects Polish GDP to grow by 4.2 percent this year and 3.8 percent in 2018, and unemployment is at record lows.

Morawiecki was expected to participate in a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, but instead spent the morning at PiS headquarters, apparently talking to Kaczyński.

Mazurek, when pressed by reporters on Morawiecki’s candidacy, said Law and Justice's main activities in the near future would be related to economic issues and added that "it is Minister Morawiecki who is responsible for that."

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dc

You can feel the pain of noemarxi2sts in Bron’s article:
– “she has led a government that is very popular at home”,
– “The European Commission expects Polish GDP to grow by 4.2 percent this year and 3.8 percent in 2018, and unemployment is at record lows”,
– record low budget deficit thanks to growing GDP but also thanks to finally prosecuting cronies and those that illegally avoided paying taxes,
– ZERO terror attacks,
– no communi2ts in the government,
– reform of inefficient and corrupt judicial system supported by over 70% of Poles finally being introduced.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 2:36 PM CET

wolf

dc:

Stop spreading PIS propaganda. majority of Poles support reform of judiciary system, but simultaneously majority opposes deformation of judiciary system by PiS. More Poles oppose PiS government than support it.

No commies in government? Mentally they are for sure. Face of changes in judiciary system is communist prosecutor that was accusing anti-communist opposition in PRL times.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 3:15 PM CET

dc

@wolf
Take a pill and calm down.
Time to grow up and face facts and reality – it is painful sometimes, so I have a lot of sympathy and compassion for you while you will be doing that. Good luck in this process !

Posted on 12/6/17 | 4:29 PM CET

Veritas-Semper

@ dc

All excellent points. One can almost see the scowl on Bron’s face having to write all this down, pretending to present “rightous angst” for the “terrible treatment” of a well performing PM…

This will be interesting. Morawiecki was given the opportunity to steer the Polish economy and the tax collection system to a level never before achieved since 1989. And, he did it. Let’s see what else he can do!

And, for PM Szydlo, I am sure that there is role for her play in Polish politics for having steadied the Polish government through a very turbulent period which she achieved with poise. Bravo Beata! Well done!

Posted on 12/6/17 | 5:10 PM CET

ajh

The man in charge of the “reforms” of the judiciary is Stanislaw Piotrowicz, a zealous prosecutor of the Polish opposition under the martial law and an active member of communist executive.
Simultaneously Law and justice is ramming through the parliament a law that gives them a free rein to control the upcoming elections by gerrymandering, by entrusting the oversight of the elections to arbitrarily picked incompetent political comissars. Fairness of the elections will be assessed by a new chamber of Supreme Court which will be arbitrarily picked by the parliamentary majority (that is, by Law and Justice) from among politicians.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 6:22 PM CET

Franek Kimono

there is no problem to take away the voice of Poland and impose sanctions on it. it is enough to combine Hungary and Poland and conduct one vote. In this way, the veto will be avoided and the problems are the same. The EU must vote for it before may 2O18r.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 6:28 PM CET

ajh

General Pytel was brought for the interrogatory by force althogh he was ill. Generals Pytel and Nosek declined to testify.

Some time ago Macierewicz downgraded major Magdalena E. for her successful mission of getting out a Polish officer jailed by the secret services of Belarus. A probable cause was the fact that she investigated a suspect Russian translator of Macierewicz’ report on the Polish intelligence. This report was published in Polish and Russian. In this report several Polish spies in the Middle East were revealed which resulted in their deaths.

Close relations of Macierewicz with agents of the Russian secret services have been denouced by two journalists, Tomasz Piatek in his book on Macierewicz and Konrad Schuller in FAZ. Macierewicz threatened Piatek with prosecution by his subordinate military prosecutors.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 6:54 PM CET

Veritas-Semper

@ ajh (aka the “whiner”)

Macierewicz is one of the most distinguished members of the Polish resistance to communist rule in Poland. One of the original founding members of KOR in the 70’s who distinguished himself as a key member of the Jan Olszewski government.

He is totally incorruptible and thus the best choice for Defense Minister. As a result, he is the target of a smear campaign, precisely because of his unshaken resolve and effectiveness.

All the whining in the world is not going to deter him from his mission of strengthening Polish military.

He is cleaning up house from all the leftover communists in the military from the days of Donald-little-Tusk. Kudos to him.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 7:09 PM CET

dc

@Veritas-Semper
Yes, watching those howls at reality like Bron, @Franek Kimono or @ajh’s is a pure pleasure.
Message is simple and clear – Polish people don’t want you back !
Even more propaganda training from Soros or Putin will not help you – you made too much mess in the EU already.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 7:19 PM CET

Veritas-Semper

@ dc

I usually turn my head away from high pitched sounds, but this “squeal” is pure music in my ears…

Posted on 12/6/17 | 7:37 PM CET

Anne

What is the point of the whole charade? If Kaczyński is calling the shots why doesn’t he name himself PM instead of using proxies?
Its a very strange situation for a parliamentary democracy and probably quite frustrating for foreign governments who cannot speak with the real leader of Poland because he is hiding behind the curtain.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 9:07 PM CET

Pexit

@Anne

And you probably think that the real leader of France it’s Macron or for Germany it’s mutti merkel…time to grow up…

Posted on 12/7/17 | 12:29 AM CET

Boleslaw Chrobot

@ Anne
You may ask yourself in which parliamentary democracy is the Prime Minister appointed without a vote of his/her party? Mr Kaczynski is either too modest to put himself forward for the role, or else he prefers to operate from behind the scenes, like a Cardinal Mazarin. Perhaps, we’ll all be proved wrong and he’ll step forward, but I wouldn’t bet on it. How about he surprises everyone and nominates the popular Minister Szyszko? Szydlo followed by Szyszko – a natural progression…

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:20 AM CET

wolf

dc
Take pill on your own.

With change of prime minister support for current government will fall.

Macierewicz is or Russian spy, or insane guy that should spend rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital. How many theories of assassination in Smoleńsk has he created? 50 or more? Few types of bombs in plane, attack by missile surface-to-air, attack by missile air-to-air, plane abduction etc. etc. And, of course he has no proof for any of his theories.

He sacked majority of experienced generals, and he is promoting soldiers with communist past, 13 of 14 soldiers that he wanted to promote recently had communist past.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 10:29 AM CET

dc

@wolf
Yes, of course – this government will “fall” or step down one day. Like every government.

But not because of your fake news.
So you say defense minister:
– under which US troops arrived to defend NATO’s eastern flank which Russia protested vehemently
– under which Poland spends on defense >2% of GDP like agreed within NATO, which level most of NATO countries don’t even get close to (e.g. Germany, Netherlands, Italy, etc.)
– which was one of key figures of Polish opposition against Russians under communism

is a Russian spy ?!?

You definitely should change pills you take or stop taking the hard stuff.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 10:47 AM CET

wolf

dc:

Yeah, USA troops, USA send to Poland worst of their butterfingers, they even can’t drive cars, how many car accidents had they so far? Hopefully, they have’t killed anyone so far.

2% of GDP… from which enormous part goes for soldiers pensions and salaries of soldiers.
How much goes for modernization of army? Not much. Where are new tanks? Where are new choppers? Where is anti-missile defense system? Where is modern weapon for new soldiers? Where are drones (there are only talks about kamikaze-drones)? There is none of it.

Of course you wrote nothing about commies around Macierewicz. He surround himself only with greenhorns without any achievements or with guys with communist past.

In case of government and new prime minister:

Kaczyński – one of the most disliked Polish politicians in… Poland (the most disliked is Macierewicz, even PiS supporters don’t like him)

or Morawiecki The Bankster?

Kaczyński as a prime minister = loss of centrist supporters
Morawiecki as a prime minister = loss of anti-liberal supporters

A. Bison, Bialowieza, Poland

The Polish people are like most other people – they are for the most part too concerned with making a living to bother too much with politics. But they are also rather used to this kind of rule. The pendulum has swung from ZAMORDYZM of the left, during communist rule, to the present-day (arguably slightly milder) ZAMORDYZM of the right. Perhaps Poland will join the rest of the civilized world in adopting some form of consensus politics, but it isn’t looking very likely at the moment. And there are also many fans of this kind of authoritarianism, as can be seen, for example, by the comments on pages like this.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 11:52 AM CET

dc

@wolf
You are pathetic – just read what kind of nonsense you wrote.
US troops in Poland as Putin’s plot – excellent joke !

You need more propaganda training from Soros or Putin as next time you will try to convince anyone that NATO’s support for Ukraine is also a Russian plot, etc.
So may be as part of this Russian plot Putin will invite NATO troops to Kaliningrad oblast or even to Moscow and “Russian spies” like Macierewicz will make it possible :D:D:D ?!?
If “Russian spies” helped in that it would be an excellent news – EUrope would be much safer.

In the meantime look at those who really support Putin in EUrope:
– “German foreign minister slams US sanct1ons against Russia”
“Angela Merkel has sharpened Germany’s attack on US plans to toughen American sanct1ons on Russia.”
– Germany undermining several EU and NATO countries as well as Ukraine’s safety by building with Russia Nord2tream, Nord2tream 2 pipe1ines and granting control over Opal pipe1ine to Gazpr0m against EU regulations,
– supply of ga2 turbine2 to Cr1mea against sanct1ons of international community,
– undermining NATO capabilities by ignoring obligation to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence which means also cheating on taxpayers from countries that fulfill that obligation.

By the way – have you heard about former German chancellor – Gerhard Schroeder, paid by Russians ?

Aha – and to relax look at the polls in Poland and support for individual parties. Have fun !

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:11 PM CET

Red is bad

Dude, Kaczynski or Szydlo or Morawiecki, it really does not matter. What does is that your, I.e. thieving leftopaths and leftards, chance of winning the next election is even lower to that of snowball’s in hell.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:38 PM CET

ajh

The regime displays an unbelievable lenience towards far-right hoodlums who attack every foreigner or any person speaking a foreign language. In particular American soldiers are not immune. An American soldier stationed in Gizycko as well as a civilian member of the American forces were attacked and beaten up yesterday.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:39 PM CET

wolf

dc

You pathetic troll, I nowhere wrote that USA troops are Putin’s plot. I wrote only that those troops, sent by USA to Poland are butterfingers that can’t drive. Their military power is probably not much higher than 0, the only positive is that Russia would probably be afraid to kill them.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:50 PM CET

wolf

And of course you have not written anything in relation to my other points + pasted some earlier prepared text that has not relation to what I wrote.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:52 PM CET

dc

@wolf
“You pathetic troll, I nowhere wrote that USA troops are Putin’s plot.”

So why you are accusing Macierewicz of being a “Russian spy” ?
Your logic: “Russian spy” pushing US to send troops to Poland to defend Eastern NATO flank, facilitating and supervising that process – which leads to an obvious conclusion following your “logic” that: US troops in Poland is a Russian plot.
Unless Russian spies are not linked to Putin and Russia, which would be even more interesting :D:D:D

But – wow, you are finally making some sense of the stuff going around you: “the only positive is that Russia would probably be afraid to kill them.”.
Congratulations !

Some additional stuff for you to ponder about.
“Italy Records Europe’s Biggest Rise in People at Risk of Poverty”
while
“Poland Records Europe’s Biggest DECREASE in People at Risk of Poverty”
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-07/italy-records-europe-s-biggest-rise-in-people-at-risk-of-poverty

As long as you ignore facts you will have problems in understanding reality and what’s going around you.
That will lead to frustration and even more pills you will have to consume.
But you can easily avoid it – just look at the facts.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 3:37 PM CET

ajh

Polish circus:
Morning: Beata Szydlo successfully defends her govt in the Diet against the vote of no-confidence and gets flowers from Law and Injustice.
Evening: she is dismissed by her own party in its headquarters.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 7:58 PM CET

ajh

Macierewicz has always been announcing purchase of new equipment for the army and then canceling the plan.
The last case was a contract for 2 Patriot batteries. It has been canceled too. The army is disarmed except for a volunteer army equipped with bows and arches.